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Wednesday, February 22, 2017

2017 Skibike NASTAR

by G. Kunkel

Skibikes still have their own division in NASTAR. The program is barely hanging on though at Winter Park Resort. The program fees for the ski resort are expensive (like 20k) and the course is run entirely by volunteers.

Last season I ran my skibike down the race course just for jollies. Freestyle bikes are not really made for this. Skibobs are.

Anyway, I took a run down the course on Sunday just for kicks. I didn't try too hard as the course was really icy and crashing was not on my menu.

It snowed pretty good Sunday night and they groomed the course really nice. So I decided to try it again.

Ski School employees get one free run per day otherwise it's $10 for unlimited runs. I had to choose between lunch or NASTAR. I made one free run on Monday.

I decided to run this attempt flat out. Hardly anyone had taken runs on it so the course was in great shape. Few, if any, ruts.

After charging the start gate, I got into a tuck and attacked the gates. Didn't hit any though.

I got to the bottom and performed a skidding hockey stop with rooster tail. The results were quickly annouced over the PA system.

Another Platinum NASTAR Medal for me.

After going up the Prospector lift, I headed back to the start shack to collect my medal. It's nice and hefty this year.

When I got home, I found out that was the last day to qualify for the NASTAR National Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. And my time qualified.

The next morning I had a "Congratulations" banner on my race record. The skibike women's division handicaps are all pretty tight together. There's some good competition there this year.

The entry fee is $199. That does not include lift tickets. That does not matter for me as my employee pass is direct to lift there. The entry fee is another matter - not in my budget.

Skibikers can still obtain discretionary entries. Just ask management. The address is on their website.

Disclaimer

The opinions and postings on this site are my own personal opinions and don't necessarily represent Winter Park Resort's positions, strategies or opinions. Content published here has not been reviewed or endorsed by Winter Park Resort or its affiliates before it is posted.